Brake



June 19, 1934. R J, OLANDER 1,963,210

BRAKE Filed July 13, 1932,

Inventor I Olanaer Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oF FICE BRAKE Roland J. Olander, Chicago, 111., assignor' to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, III., a corporation of Delaware Application July 13,1932, Serial No. 622,174

12 Claims.

quickly taking up the slack in applying the brakes,

wherein the quick take-up means is designed for use in connection with any type of hand brakes employing a chain or other connecting pulling means between the mechanism for operating the brake shoes and the manually operated means for effecting the pulling action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quick take-up mechanism of the character indicated in the preceding paragraph, which is reliable and efficient andalso positive in the action of taking up the slack quickly through automatically shortening the efiective length of the connecting element or chain during the first part of the operation of applying the brakes.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for effecting quick take-up of the slack of a hand brake mechanism and powerful application of the brakes at the end of the quick take-up operation and until the brakes are'fully tightened by progressively increasing the power applied during the take-up operation through shortening of the chain by progressively decreasing amounts during the time that the brake shoes are moved toward and into contact with the car wheels and until'the chain has been shortened to a predetermined extent, whereupon the shortening operation is arrested and the full power of the brake tightening mechanism is applied during the remainder'of the brake tightening operation.

Other objects of the invention will more clearafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a. portion of the bottom structure at one end of a railway car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional. view, corresponding to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1, on an enlarged scale, certain parts being broken away. Figure 4 is a top' plan view, parly appear from the description and claims hereintially broken away, of the structure shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but illustratingthe'parts in another position. And Figures 6 and 7 are vertical sectionalviews,"

corresponding respectively to the lines 66 and 77 of Figure 3.

In said drawing, 10 designates the bottom'portion of the usual railway car. The chain of the brake mechanism is indicated by 11 and, as

shown in Figure '1, is trained over a sheave '12 corner of the car. Any well known'mechan'ism at mounted within a housing 13- fixed to the lower may be employed for exerting apull on the chain 11 in tightening the brakes. of such'pulling means is a manually operated chain-winding mechanism including a drum,' about which the chain is wound;

A common form'i" The brake.

mechanism proper of the car includes the usual 'f brake shoes, which cooperate with the wheels of the car trucks, the shoes being actuated by the usual means, which is operated through the pulling action of the brake chainj. As shown in, Figure 1, the connecting element for the brake shoes is in the form of a rod. 14, whichmay be the pis-' ton lever of the brake construction. V

In carrying out my invention, I includethei' quick take-up mechanisni' in the connecting means between the manually actuated tightening member of the brake mechanism andthe brake" shoes.

My improved quick take-up mechanism comprises broadly a slide A; a pairof links'B and C; and a supporting guide member D. a

The guide member D is fixed directly to the car f and, as clearly shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, and 711$ in the form of a rail having a T-shap ed guide head 15. An upstanding lug 28 is provided-at? the left-hand end of the rail 1). The 1ug28 has; an inclined end face 29 for apurpose hereinafter pointed out. The guide rail is supported iiromfi the bottom 10 of the car by a channel beam 16 having the upper flange thereof-suitably secured; to the bottom 10. a The rail D is riveted to a supporting plate 17,- which is fixed to the bottom flange of the beam 16.

The slide A is supported for movement on the rail D and has a guideway or opening 18 at the bottom thereof, which engages over the head 15' of the rail D. At the outer end, the slide A'is provided' with a pair of upstanding spaced e'ars 19-19, to which the inner end of the brake chain 11 is connected. 'As. shown, the inner end of the chain is fixed to the ears l919 by a bolt 20 extending through said earsand the end'linkof the chain. The slide is provided witha pair of spaced ating means.

arms 2l21 at the inner end thereof, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 6. The arms 2121 extend beyond the inner end of the slide A and in the normal position of the parts overhang the inner end of the guide rail D. The arms 2l21 are spaced apart a greater distance than the ears 19-19 so as to accommodate the link B therebetween.

The link B, which is in the form of a lever, is of two-part construction, comprising spaced bars 22-22 connected by a web 123. The link or lever B is pivoted at its lower end to the arms 2121 of the slide A by a pivot bolt 23 extending through said arms 21--21 and the members 2222 of the link. The lower ends of the members 22-22 of the link B extend an appreciable distance beyond the pivot bolt 23 and provide a fulcrum finger portion 24, which normally engages an abutment projection 25 at the inner end of the rail D. As clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the link B is' normally held in upright position by engagement of the portion 24 thereof with the abutment 25 of the rail D.

The link C, which serves to join the link B to the rod 14, is pivoted at one end to the rod 14 and at the other end to the upper portion of the link B. The end of the link C, which is connected to the link B, is preferably disposed between the two members 22-22 of the link B and is swiveled thereto by means of a bolt 26.

The head of the rod 14* is preferably forked to receive the corresponding end of the link 0, which is swiveled thereto by a bolt 27.

V Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, 6, and 7 show the mechanism in normal position, that is, when the brakes are fully released. In tightening the brakes, the

chain 11 is pulled upwardly, as viewed in Figure 1,

by being wound on the drum of the brake oper- During this pulling action the slide A will be moved outwardly along the guide D, that is, toward the right, as viewed in Figures 1, 3, and 4. As the lower end of the link B is in engagement with the inner end of the rail D, the link B will be swung on the pivotal connection 7 thereof with the slide A during movement of the slide outwardly on the rail D. A swinging action will thus beimparted to the link B, causing the link C to be moved to the right at a greater rate of speed than the movement of the slide A. Due

to the arrangement of the pivotal connections of the link B with the slide A and the link C, the

links B and C will be gradually folded over the slide A in the manner of a toggle connection. As will, be evident, the effective length of the connecting means between the chain tightening element and the brake mechanism proper of the car will be gradually shortened. This action of shortening is effective in progressively decreasing ratio, thereby causing the power applied to the connecting rod member 14 to be gradually increased so that the power will be greatest when the take-up has been completed through the folding of the links B and Con the slide A. This I condition is shown in Figure 5, and as the pulling action of the brake chain 11 is continued, the links will remain in folded condition and will travel bodily with the slide until the, brakes have been fully tightened and during this action the full power of the operating means will be communi- B will clear the end of the rail D before the link C engages the lug 28 when the parts are moved toward the left, as viewed in the drawing.

In releasing the brakes, the chain 11 is unwound from the drum of the brakes, thereby permitting the parts to return to the normal position shown in Figures 1 and 3. As will be evident, the tension created by the tightened brakes will force the parts to return to the released position when the chain is permitted to unwind from the drum of the brakes. During the restoration of the parts to normal position, the slide will move toward the left, as viewed in Figure 5, until the end 24 of the link B passes beyond the abutment 25 of the rail D, whereupon the link C engages the inclined end 29 of the lug 28 and is lifted'so as to raise the pivot 26 above the level of the pivot 23, thus breaking the locking action of the toggle connection and permitting the link B to be rocked about said abutment on the pivot 23 and finally assume the upright position shown in Figures 1 and 3.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, it will be evident that I have provided simple and efiicient automatically operated means for effecting quick take-up of the connecting means between the brake shoes and the actuating member of hand brakes forrailway cars, wherein the take-up is effective only during the first part of the brake-tightening operation. Further, my improved construction provides for shortening of the connecting means by progressively decreasing amounts during the takeup of the slack, thereby providing the maximum amount of power at the end of the take-up op- .eration so that the brakes may be applied with the minimum amount of effort even if the brake shoes are brought into contact with the car wheels before the means for taking up the slack has completed its operation. 1

I have herein shown and described What I now nism, said movable connection including take-up means for shortening the eifective length of said connection; means for arresting the shortening action of said take-up means after a predetermined movement of said connection while permitting further bodily movement of said connection and means for operating said take-up means through movement of said connection during the brake-tightening operation.

2. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a tightening means; of a movable connection between said tightening means and the brake mechanism proper of the car, said movable connection including take-up means for progressively decreasing the effective length of said connection during the first part of the braketightening operation; means engageable by said take-up means through movement of said connection for actuating the take-up means to shorten the connection and thereby effect quick takeup of the slack in the brake mechanism; and means for arresting the shortening action of said take-up means after a predetermined initial movement of said connection and maintaining said take-up means in said' shortened condition during the further movement of said connection.

3. In a brake mechanism for railway'c'arathe v V v v rocked relatively to said slide"throughengage'e combination with a tightening means; of amovable connection between said tighteningme'ans and the'brake mechanismproper of the'c'ar, said connection being pulled in one direction by said' j tightening means while the brakes are being ap- 10 plied, said connection including a foldable section for shortening the effective length of the connection to take up the slack in the brake mechanism; means engaging said foldable section during the first part of the brake-tightening op condition during further movement of said confor displacing said link members relatively to 30 each other to shorten the effective length of said connection; and means effective during the remainder of the tightening operation holding said toggle links against relative displacement with respect to each other.

" '5. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a manually-operated actuating member; of a movable connection between said actuating member and the brake mechanism proper of the car, said connection including an element connected to the actuating member, an

element connected to the brake mechanism proper of the car, and link means connected to said elements, said link means including a lever swingable with respect to said elements; a fixed stop member on the car, with which one endof the lever is engageable during part of the movement of said connection to thereby swing the lever and shorten the effective length of said connection; and means effective during the remainder of the movement of said connection for holding said lever against movement with respect to said elements.

6. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the

combination with an actuating member; of a movable slide actuated by said member; a guide for said slide; a link pivoted near one end to said slide, said link having its end projecting beyond said pivot; means for connecting said link to the brake mechanism proper, said means being piv- 'otally connected to the link; abutment means combination with a movable slide; of a guide fixed to the car, said guide having fixed abutment means thereon; a chain connected to one end of the slide; means for pulling on said chain for moving the slide in. one direction to tighten the brakes; a link pivotally connected to the other end of said slide, said link'having one end'thereof "projecting yond said" p votedflconn'ection and normally engaging the abutment "means of said" guideto hold the link"upright,' said link being ment with said abutmentmeans'while the'slide" is moved in; the tightening operationo' f the" brake mechanism; "means for arresting rocking movement of said link after a predetermined 5 initial movement of said slide and holding said link against rocking movement during the remaining movement of the slide; and means connecting the link to the brake mechanism proper, said means being swiveled to said link.

8. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a guide fixed to the car; of a slide movable on said guide; a lever at the inner end of said slide normally engaging the inner end of the guide and held in upright position thereby; a pulling element connected to the outer end of said slide; and a link pivotally connected at one end to the upper end of the lever and at the other end to the brake mechanism proper, said lever having its lower end pivotally connected to the slide, said lever being swingable to a position parallel to said guide in engagement with said guide and slidable lengthwise thereon.

9. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a substantially horizontal guide fixed to the car, said guide having an abutment shoulder at the inner end; of a slide movable on said guide;-a pulling element connected to the outer end of the slide; a lever rockable on the shoulder of said guide and held normally in upright position by engagement with said shoulder, said lever being pivotally connected to the slide and foldable lengthwise against said guide and slidable thereon when folded; and a link pivotally connected to the lever and leading to the brake mechanism proper of the car.

10. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a substantially horizontal guide fixed to the car; of a slide movable on said guide; a pulling element connected to the outer end of the slide; and a pair of links connecting the outer end of the slide to the brake mechanism proper of the car, said links being pivoted to each other and one of said links being pivoted to the slide, said last named link having a portion engaging the inner end of the guide and rockable thereon, whereby said last named link is swung to folded position on the slide during movement of the slide outwardly on the guide, said last named link when folded on the slide clearing the end of the guide and being held in said folded position 136* by engagement with the top of said guide.

11. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a longitudinal guide fixed to the car, said guide having abutment means at the inner end; of a slide movable lengthwise of said guide; a pulling element connected to the outer end of said slide; and a pair of links connecting the other end of the slide to the brake mechanism proper of the car, said links being pivotally connected to each other and fo-ldable on said slide and held in folded position by engagement with said longitudinal guide, one of said links being engageable with the abutment means of the guide to swing said links to folded position upon movement of the slide outwardly 145"" along the guide.

12. In a brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a chain-winding member; of a guide member fixed to the car; a slide movable lengthwise on said guide member; a chain con- 5 .of and normally engaging the inner end of said guide member to hold said lever in upright'position and effect swinging movement of said lever to folded position through movement of said slide during the first part of thebrake tightening op? eration; means for holding said lever against further movement with respect to the slide during the remainder of the brake-tightening operation;

and means swiveled to the upper end of said lever connecting the lever to the brake mechanism proper of the car. H

ROLAND J. OLRNDER. 

